Fish-fork.



E. MIXA. FISH FORK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

' aficiona- Wi/bnmwm COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 10.. WASHINGTON. D. c

UNITED STATES ATEN on-men.

EMIL MIXA, OF TERRYVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

FISH-FQRK.

1 To all whom it may concern:

v of the fork.

Be it known that I, EMIL MIXA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Terryville,

in the county of Litchfield and State of Con .necticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fish-Forks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in forks.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to provide a fork having an ordinary handle and having its bolster provided with pivoted prongs, means being also provided upon the bolster for normally sustaining the prongs in a parallel relation with each other, said means, however, permitting the prongs to be pressed together so that their points may be adapted for removing bones from fishes, or for grasping and sustaining different edibles when being passed from one dish to another. I

In the ordinary construction of forks for table use, the prongs are rigidly connected with, and in most instances integrally formed with the bolster and with the tang In these cases it is obvious that small articles such as a fish bone, cannot be successfully removed and the eating of fish, chicken or the like becomes a source of inconvenience and embarrassment to the eater. It is my purpose to overcome the above objections by providing a fork which is adapted for use as an ordinary table fork, which has pivoted prongs andwhich has means for normally sustaining the said prongs in a parallel'position with each other, the device being extremely simple, cheap to manufacture, and which furthermore will perform the functions for which it is adapted with.

accuracy and with surety.

is a top plan view of a fork constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken upon the line w-m of Fig. 2.

Theirnproved fork comprises essentially a bolster 2 which is integrally formed with a tang 3, the said tang being received in an opening 4 provided by the handle 5. .The bolster 2 in the present instance has its extremity bifurcated, and the inner walls provided by the said bifurcation and adjacent the tang 3 are inclined in opposite directions, toward each other, to provide shoulders 6 and 7 The central portion of the tang ad- Specification of Letters Patent.

jacent the point of meeting of the outwardly inclined shoulders 6 and 7 is provided with an annular depression 8, the same having its forward portion communicating with the said shoulders 6 and 7. The recess or opening 8 is adapted to receive the central rounded portion 9 of a spring member 10. This spring member is constructed of some suitable flattened material, and is provided with angularly arranged outwardly disposed arms 11 and 12, the same extending in opposite directions within the bifurcated portion of the bolster 2.

The numerals 13 and 14 designate the prongs for the fork. These prongs are curved or what is known to the trade as 2-shaped, so that the engaging points of the said prongs are preferably arranged below the handle 5 and the bolster 2. The inner portions of the said prongs or those directly opposite the point-s, are enlarged as at 15, and the inner faces of the said enlargements are substantially V-shaped to provide shoulders 16 and thefiattened walls 17. Each of the enlargements 15 is provided with an opening 18, and the bolster 7 is also provided with registering openings, the said openings being adapted to receive the pintles 19 and 20, whereby the said prongs are pivotally connected with the. bolster. When the prongs are thus arranged it will be noted that the shoulders 16 thereof contact with the inclined shoulders 6 and 7 so that the outward movement of the said prongs is effectively prevented, and also the said prongs are sustained in a substantially paral-- lel relation with each other. The inclined walls 17 are adapted to be contacted by the arms 11 and 12 of the spring 10, the said arms exerting an outward pressure to force the shoulder 16 of the prongs into contact with the inclined shoulders 6 and 7 of the bolster.

By a construction, as above described, it' will be noted that a pressure exerted inwardly upon the prongs 13 and 14 will cause the same to rotate upon their pintles 19' and 20 so that their points are brought together, as illustrated by the dotted'lines in Fig. 1

of the drawings. When the said pressure is- Patented May 21, 1912.

Application filed August 15, 1911. Serial No. 644,265.

are adapted to be employed as a clamp or clasp for removing undesirable articles from the plate of the eater as heretofore set forth.

Having thus fully described the said invention, what I claim is A table fork having a bolster and a tang therefor, the said bolster having its extremity bifurcated, the inner Wall provided by the said bifurcation being beveled or inclined at opposite angles toward the center of the bolster, the said wall being centrally provided with a substantially U-shaped opening, a spring having a central U-shaped portion and oppositely arranged arms engaging within the opening, the arms of the said prongs projecting beyond the opening and adapted to exert pressure in opposite directions, prong members, said prong members having their extremities enlarged and their inner faces of a substantially l-shaped formation, a pivotal connection between the prongs and the bolster, the inclined ends of the prongs adapted each to bear against the oppositely arranged inclined shoulder of the bolster, and the arms of the spring adapted to bear against the inclined faces of the prongs to force the ends thereof against the inclined shoulders to sustain the prongs normally in a parallel position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMIL MIXA.

Vitnesses:

WALTER C. J EWETI, CHARLES YAGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

